


He's in the Tavern

by Impala_Cherry_Trickster



Series: Merlin Prompts [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Canon Era, Drinking, Fluff, Gen, Good Morgana (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Lancelot (Merlin) Lives, Merlin doesn't know he knows, Morgana Knows about Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Secrets, Taverns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:55:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23698864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster
Summary: It becomes a code, "He's in the Tavern", for things that Arthur cannot understand, but how long is he willing to pretend it doesn't happen?
Series: Merlin Prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706692
Comments: 24
Kudos: 885





	He's in the Tavern

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Krazy_Kitty for the prompt, I hope you like it!

Arthur wasn’t an idiot. Okay, his servant might disagree, but he wasn’t as blind as Merlin might think he was. There were only so many times a servant, with absolutely no skill in wielding a sword, could survive a bandit attack. Only so many times he could avoid death, in all the perilous situations that they had been in. So, Arthur had started making a point of watching.

The first time he’d seen the golden glow, he’d felt betrayed. Slowly, he came to the conclusion that Merlin wasn’t just the biggest idiot he had ever met, but he was also a loyal idiot. With that revelation, Arthur was content to wait until Merlin told him the truth.

Now, he knew that some others were aware of this secret. His sister, for example, was definitely aware. The two of them snuck of into the woods to practice Magic, he’d seen them do it, so he wasn’t an idiot about that bit. Then there was Lancelot, who seemed to know, but kept it very quiet. Gwaine, who was the closest person to Merlin, probably knew as well.

Gaius did, there was no way he could not have known. With these people that knew, Arthur began to pick up on the exchange of looks, the secrets they kept from him.

It was a bright day, and Arthur was planning on riding out to the site of a recent Bandit raid. That was when he first noticed the secret phrase.

‘Merlin’s in the tavern.’ Arthur’s initial response was annoyance, he scowled and said:

‘Of course he is.’

But then he noted the looks exchanged between his sister, Lancelot and Gwaine. Ah, so the Tavern was not the Tavern, it was something that Arthur wasn’t allowed to know because he didn’t know about the secret of Magic.

Okay then, he rewarded Merlin with a morning in the stocks, grinning the entire time, while wondering what Merlin had been doing that meant he couldn’t tell Arthur.

**

The excuse began to get worrying, especially when Merlin would return from the Tavern with a limp and a bad mood, with worried expressions from the others that knew about the secret. Arthur considered all of this, while watching Merlin move around his Chambers, cleaning and chatting away like he hadn't been lying to him for his entire time in Camelot.

Arthur understood, he genuinely did. But he was worried that, one day, the excuse of the Tavern would get him hurt.

So, Arthur made a plan. To stalk Merlin, while he was supposedly in the Tavern.

**

The opportunity presented itself a mere two weeks later, when Merlin had been acting slightly off. Arthur, dressed in the oldest clothes he had, put up his hood and followed the servant through Camelot, and into the trees.

Arthur wasn’t the best tracker, but Merlin was a bumbling fool that never bothered to cover his footprints, so it wasn’t that hard to keep on his trail. He was beginning to wonder where on earth Merlin was going, when the Sorcerer halted and looked around the clearing.

A man appeared, evidently a Druid, from the robes and the marks on his skin. Arthur observed the duo, watched them speaking in hushed tones, and then turned and went back to Camelot.

**

When Lancelot told him that Merlin was in the Tavern, Arthur played along to the phrase, pretending that he hadn't seen Merlin meeting with a Druid outside of Camelot’s walls. Honestly, how many times had Arthur punished Merlin when he could have been doing something that was good for Camelot? How did Merlin, of all people, manage to live a double-life?

When evening came, he could see that his friends were beginning to worry. Morgana was fidgeting, looking to the window every so often, and Lancelot and Gwaine had given up drinking in favour of looking at each other, speaking silently.

They were all in Arthur’s Chambers, relaxing for the evening, but Merlin had not yet arrived. Arthur was beginning to panic now, if the ones that knew the secret were worried, then surely it was a bad sign? What had Merlin been doing that led him so far from Camelot’s walls, and why had he not yet returned?

The door burst open, Merlin coming in with a cheerful grin and a busted lip, which he quickly recounted was a run-in with a wall. Percival laughed, called him clumsy, and the others joined in. Arthur just watched his servant, and waited for the day that Merlin would no longer feel the need to hide.

**

It was getting ridiculous. Not even Gwaine spent three-consecutive days in the Tavern, and Arthur was worrying about his manservant. What had the idiot gotten himself into? He realised that this must be what it was like for the others, the constant worry that Merlin wouldn’t return, that he’d do something to get himself killed.

Arthur couldn’t take it. He thought that pretending was the best way to keep the ruse, that it would keep them both happy, but here he was, sitting on the edge of his bed and staring at the door, hoping that Merlin would come in and tell him that he had a hangover, or had been fighting with a door, or some other stupid excuse.

The door did open, but this time, Merlin didn’t look so good.

His eye was bruised, hair sticking up in all directions, and he was limping badly on one side. Still, the man tried to play it off as a run-in with some stairs, and Arthur guided him to the fire that George had started.

The King looked to his servant, who would not meet him in the eye, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

‘I’ll go and get Gaius.’ Merlin thanked him quietly, and Arthur walked to the door, pausing and looking back.

This secret, this ruse that he’d kept going for so long, was going to kill him. And Arthur would never be able to tell him that he’d known, would have to mourn in quiet, knowing he could have prevented it.

‘I know you don’t go to the Tavern, Merlin.’ Now that the words were out, Arthur’s chest felt lighter, and before he could stop himself, he was spilling more secrets than he intended to.

‘I know you sneak out of Camelot, to fight things that you don’t think I can face. Magical things, that you wouldn’t be able to explain to me without telling me that you have Magic.’ Merlin looked at him with wide eyes, an open mouth that showed how shocked he was, and Arthur turned back to the door, took in a deep breath, and then focused.

‘If you should ever need my assistance,’ He paused, made sure to meet Merlin’s shocked gaze, ‘Then you need only ask me to come with you to the Tavern.’ And with that, the King went to fetch the Physician, hoping he had done enough.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any prompts you'd like written, comment down below :)


End file.
